The Battle of Little Bighorn

This battle, and the subsequent retreat of Crook

could have a negative impact on the other two units, and their plan of attack.

Why do you think Indians did not acquire citizenship until 1924?

A Native person born a citizen of a recognized tribal nation was not born an American citizen, but a citizen of their tribe, and did not become one simply by voluntarily leaving his tribe and settling among whites and paying taxes.

The Crow and Shashone allies

fought off the first wave of Sioux attacks.

As you can probably imagine, the termination of the Fort Laramie Treaty did not sit well with the affected tribes. Not only had the U.S. failed to follow through the treaty

it also was doing nothing to prevent settlers from encroaching on Sioux land. It became a wild and violent situation, with Indians attacking miners, miners and settlers attacking Indians, and outlaws ransacking Indians and miners alike. The U.S. Government concluded that the only remaining option was to try to protect U.S. citizens who were mining for gold in the Black Hills.

Just as they finished driving Reno's soldiers out,

the Indians found roughly 210 of Custer's men, coming towards the other end of the village. The Cheyenne and Sioux crossed the river and attacked the advancing soldiers, forcing them back to a long high ridge to the north. Meanwhile, another force under Crazy Horse's enveloped Custer and his men. They began pouring in gunfire and arrows.

On December 6, 1875,

the U.S. Commissioner on Indian Affairs ordered the Lakota onto the reservation by January 31, 1876, threatening to treat them as "hostiles" and have them arrested if they did not meet this deadline. The Army was ordered in to enforce the Commissioner's ultimatum. Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse gathered their bands for the coming assault.

In May 1867,

the military's goal was to find and engage the Lakota and Cheyenne, who now were considered "hostile," with the goal of forcing their return to the Great Sioux Reservation. General Crook and his soldiers, numbering about 1,000, lined up with their weapons and prepared to march.

General Crook

underestimated the size of the Indian forces.

Custer's second unit, Reno's squadron of 175 soldiers,

were sent to attack at the southern end. Quickly finding themselves in a desperate battle with little hope of any relief, Reno halted his charging men before they could be trapped, fought for ten minutes in dismounted formation, and then withdrew into the brush along the river. Then Reno's men retreated farther uphill to the bluffs, pursued by the Cheyenne and Sioux.

What happened to the men who remained with Custer during the Battle of Little Bighorn?

All of the men Custer had in his regiment died in battle.

How did the U.S. government treat Native Americans after the Civil War?

As wards—the government acted as though it had adopted Native Americans into the nation's "family," offering protection and assistance in return for control.

How do you think things are going to turn out for the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians after Custer's defeat?

As you can imagine, the Indians are not going to revel in their victory for very long.

Which of the following contributed to the loss at Battle of Little Bighorn?

Colonel Crook, who had the largest unit with 1300 men and 650 allied Indians, had retreated after the Battle of Rosebud. This significantly weakened the Army's ability to fend off the Sioux attack.

As the Indians closed in,

Custer ordered his men to shoot their horses and stack the carcasses to form a wall, but this tactic provided little protection against bullets. The fight lasted no more than 20 to 25 minutes and was bloody, savage and brief. All 207 officers and men under Custer's command, and Custer himself, were killed in the worst American military disaster ever.

Divide and Conquer?

Dividing his forces into three units, Custer sent one set of troops out under Captain Benteen to prevent the Sioux from escaping through the upper valley of the Little Bighorn River. He hoped to strike the Indian encampment at the northern and southern ends at the same time, but made this decision without knowing what kind of landscape he would have to cross to make the attack. He quickly discovered that he would have to navigate bluffs and ravines, terrain for which his troops were unprepared.

Why did Custer reject the offer of troop reinforcement before attacking?

Even with the vastly underestimated number of Sioux warriors at 1,000-1,500, his men only totaled 650. His overconfident attitude, allowed him to believe they would be no match for his 7th cavalry

The Laramie Treaty had promised the Indians "undisturbed occupation" of their land. Why do you think the U.S. backed down in its promise to enforce white settlement on these lands?

Finding gold was probably only one reason for the decision to settle the area. The land was fertile, and would help sustain many people. White settlers saw reservation land as an "untapped" resource and placed tremendous pressure on the U.S. government to cancel its treaty with the Lakota. Also, with over 15,000 miners and settlers in the area, the military could no longer effectively control the occupation.

In what ways did the government attempt to assimilate Native American children?

Government agencies placed Native children in boarding schools, separating them from their families and their culture, and forced them to adopt "American" manners, dress, and language.

What did Custer assume about the Sioux tribes he was supposed to engage?

He assumed the Sioux had far fewer warriors and would not engage his Army in battle.

Why would the U.S. government take this approach?

Most government officials, including members of Congress, believed that persuading Native peoples to assimilate into the "American" way of life was the only way to avoid future conflicts with Indian tribes.

Which of the following is a reason the U.S. resorted to violence against the Indians after the Battle of Little Big Horn?

Part of it was residual anger over Custer's death, the other was to retain control over the Indians in an effort to prevent an uprising and further battles.

Why was the U.S. using such violence against the Indians?

Partly it was fueled by residual anger over Custer's death; it also represented and attempt by the U.S. military to retain control of Native Americans in order to prevent an uprising or further battles.

Which of the following contributed to the decline of U.S.—Indian relations prior to the Battles?

President Grant had vacated the Treaty which promised the Indians that their land would be their's, free of white intrusion and settlement.

What was found in the Black Hills that eventually caused the U.S. government to want control of the land?

The discovery of gold in the Black Hills had miners flocking to the area.

When Custer was first sent out with his troops, what information did his orders include?

The original plan sent out three Army units which were to converge on the Indian camp and essentially "corral" them to force them to the reservation.

Why were the Indians dependent on the U.S. once they were forced onto the Reservations after Custer's Last Stand?

The white settlers had killed off almost all of the buffalo, which was a primary source of their food, clothing and shelter. They also had little employment opportunities.

Why was it difficult for the Indians to provide for themselves?

The white settlers had killed off almost all of the buffalo, which was a primary source of their food, clothing and shelter. They were also basically confined to reservations which impacted another primary source of their livelihood—bartering with other tribes. There were also few employment opportunities on the reservations.

Why do you think Native Americans took advantage of the Dawes Act, giving up their land on the reservation for privately owned property?

With their way of life already threatened and faced with limited opportunities on the reservation, accepting land off the reservation offered Native Americans a means to provide for their families. Also, most facilities on the reservations were in terrible condition.

By late spring in 1876

more than 10,000 Native Americans had gathered in a camp along the Little Bighorn River in defiance. Earlier in the spring, many had congregated to celebrate the annual Sun Dance ceremony. During the ceremony, Sitting Bull experienced a prophetic vision of soldiers toppling upside down in his camp, which he interpreted as a sign of great victory for his people.

It was early in the morning on June 25

when Custer was informed by his scouts of an enormous camp of hostile Indians, mostly Sioux and Cheyenne. Custer ordered his force forward to attack. Custer felt he could do so with confidence, for there was no record up to that date of Plains Indians ever having confronted an entire regiment of U.S. cavalry, much less defeating them.